The Ware move signaled an overhaul of the defensive front for Dallas. The Cowboys let tackle Jason Hatcher go to NFC East rival Washington in free agency after he led them with a career-high 11 sacks last year. Ware signed with Denver.

Lawrence was working with the second team behind veteran free agent Jeremy Mincey in camp, but would have been given every opportunity to become a starter.

"None of these things we're going with our depth chart are etched in stone by any means," Garrett said. "We have a number of defensive linemen, a lot of defensive ends in the mix right now. We'll just move guys around."

The Cowboys acknowledged overpaying by giving up their third-round pick in a trade with the Redskins to move up 13 spots to the 34th overall selection. They thought Lawrence was the last player on their board who had a chance to fill the void after Ware's release.

"He was off to a good start," Garrett said. "You feel good about drafting a guy and seeing the things you thought you were gonna see. But he's got a really good mindset."